Lucky

The Hotpress: CHAPTER 100 SPECIAL!!!

       Morgana drew the curtains against the cold, dark October night and started getting dressed. Scarlett's twentieth birthday had quite crept up on her, and she had no idea what she was going to wear. She settled quickly on a burgundy-coloured dress with black lace detailing, and a pair of black shoes. Abraxas knocked on the door while she was putting on lipstick to match the dress. "S'open!" Morgana mumbled, still carefully applying lipstick.

       Abraxas slipped through the door in a pair of dark denim jeans and a white shirt, with an emerald green jacket over the top. "Will I do?" He asked, jokingly turning with his hands in his pockets as if modelling.

       "You'll more than do," Morgana grinned, blushing slightly. "Pass me my wand, would you?" He reached her over the ebony wand, and she twisted it carefully to fix her hair. It dropped into neat curls. "That's better. Are you nearly ready to leave?"

       Abraxas nodded. "Do you want me to book us a taxi so we can both have a drink?"

       Morgana shrugged. "Nah, it's ok. I'm working tomorrow, I'll stay sober so I can apparate us home."

      He smiled gratefully. "As long as you're sure." While Morgana continued fussing with her air, Abraxas's eyes wandered to the calendar on the wall. He strolled over, flicking it one page further on. Each month on the calendar had a picture of a dog. October had been a German Sheppard, tongue drooping from its mouth in enthusiasm. November was three tiny Golden Retriever puppies with tiny little paws and soft, white, silky ears. He glanced down to a date marked on the calendar, emblazoned with magic flashing stars in bright gold colours. The twenty-second of November, 2016. 'WEDDING!!!' it proclaimed, as though from a different time, a time when marriage was an exciting prospect rather than a looming threat. Abraxas ran his hand over the page, turning to Morgana. "Not long now," he sighed, trying to sound glad.

    "Hmm?" She was still focusing on her hair, or at least pretending to.

     "Not long until the wedding," Abraxas repeated, and Morgana seemed to stop dead, a static strand of curl falling from where it had been suspended by her wand.

        "No," she nodded, swallowing hard. "A month."

"We still have a little bit to do," Abraxas murmured. "When's your final fitting?"

"Twelfth," she sighed, standing up and beginning to put away her makeup.

Abraxas bit his lip. "Why aren't we excited?" He burst out suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well normally, people can't wait to get married. But every time we talk about it, it feels like we're discussing a death sentence, not 'the happiest day of our lives'. Morgana, why don't we want to get married?"

She looked at him as though preparing to argue, then stopped and bit her lip. Tears appeared in her eyes, and she shook her head slowly. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice cracking - but she did know.

"Neither do I," Abraxas mumbled, but he knew as well. He studied her for a moment. "You know - now that he's gone - now that my vow is obsolete... we could take a little more time. Delay the wedding. Even just by a couple of months, if you wanted."

"How?" Morgana demanded. "The venue has been booked for months, everything is paid for. We've booked the honeymoon, we've bought all the dresses and suits, all the food and flowers and presents - bloody presents, for people at our wedding! You'd think they'd be getting us presents, but no, now we have to get them presents! And the champagne! The price of champagne is enough to give you a heart attack, and it costs extra if you want them to open it for you! And the band is booked, and the car is hired, and the photographer has been paid-"